Small-room structure for indoor installation

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a small-room structure for indoor installation, easy to assemble and enabling disassembling without leaving any trace of mounting on the floor surface, ceiling, etc., in a large room, and capable of forming a small-room space designed to serve to the purpose of use or produce specific tastes, in prescribed space of a large room, beautifully and with a sense of luxury, by selecting unit components as required.  
     To that purpose, the small-room structure for indoor installation is constructed with frame structures in panel shape constituted by placing upper frame and lower frame between pillars facing each other, upper connecting frame and lower connecting frame forming a body structure by connecting between the frame structures installed face to face, a ceiling unit supported at the ceiling of said body structure, a floor surface unit composed of flooring material such as tatami mats, etc. supported by the bottom portion, and a fasuma unit, a shoji unit and a board unit as side wall unit supported at the outer circumferential portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention concerns a small-room structure for indoorinstallation, more specifically a small-room structure for indoorinstallation realized to be installed in a large room in a way to enableassembling and disassembling, as desired, so as to produce a small spaceadapted to specific purposes such as meditation, relaxation, seclusion,dressing/fitting, reading, lessons, etc.

[0002] Conventionally, there are cases where a plural number of tatamimats are laid at a corner of a large room, living room for example, tocreate an open Japanese room style space in only one section of aWestern style room, to have a change in the taste of the room or, in thecase of a store, etc., a small room protected from eyes in thesurrounding area such as fitting room, dressing room, etc. is formed.

[0003] In that case, as a simple method, such small space or room usedto be formed by placing partitions around the space concerned or formedin a permanent way by installing pillars, etc. in a large room andattaching interior materials, walls for example, provided with a gatewayto them.

[0004] By the way, in said conventional case where tatami mats areplaced in a large living room, the Japanese room style space produced onthe floor surface did not have any function of a private room becausethe space is open without any partitioning walls, etc. in thesurrounding area.

[0005] Moreover, a small room formed by placing partitions, etc. has anadvantage of simplicity, but a problem was that it can hardly produceany atmosphere suitable to its purpose or lacks in elegance or sense ofluxury, because the room is formed only with partitions and thereforenot sufficiently isolated from the surrounding area.

[0006] Furthermore, the method of installing pillars, etc. in a room andproviding them with interiors such as walls, etc. presented suchproblems as difficulty of execution of work, necessity of troublesomework for dismantling and removing the small room when it became useless,traces of mounting left on the floor surface, ceiling, etc. where thepillars, etc. were installed, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The objective of the present invention, realized in view of suchproblems with a conventional small rooms installed indoors, is toprovide a small-room structure for indoor installation, easy to assembleand enabling disassembling without leaving any trace of mounting on thefloor surface, ceiling, etc., in a large room, and capable of forming asmall-room space designed to serve the purpose of use or producespecific tastes, in the prescribed space of a large room, beautifullyand with a sense of luxury, by selecting unit components as required.

[0008] To achieve said objective, the small-room structure for indoorinstallation according to this first invention is characterized in thatit is comprised of frame structures in a panel shape constituted byplacing upper and lower frames between pillars facing each other, upperconnecting and lower connecting frames forming a body structure byconnecting between the frame structures installed face to face, aceiling unit supported at the ceiling of said body structure, a floorsurface unit composed of flooring material such as tatami mats, etc.supported by a bottom portion, and a side wall unit supported at theouter circumferential portion.

[0009] Moreover, to achieve the same objective, the small-room structurefor indoor installation according to this second invention ischaracterized in that the ceiling unit constituting the ceiling of thesmall room, the floor surface unit constituting the floor surface andthe side wall units constituting the side faces of the outercircumference are constituted with panels respectively, and that saidpanels are combined in such a way to constitute a small hexahedral room.

[0010] Furthermore, to achieve the same objective, the small-roomstructure for indoor installation according to this third invention ischaracterized in that it is comprised of a pillar member unit forassembling pillar members in the shape of a cross, a lintel member unitand a threshold member unit disposed at the top and bottom of thispillar member unit, a ceiling unit supported by either the pillar memberunit or the lintel member unit, a floor surface unit supported by eitherthe pillar member unit or the lintel member unit, and a side wall unit,constituting the side faces of the outer circumference of the small roomsupported by the lintel member unit.

[0011] In this case, the side wall unit may be supported by being hungon the lintel member unit.

[0012] And, in the small-room structure for indoor installationaccording to said first, second and third inventions, the side wall unitmay be designed to be used selectively from among a fusuma (slidingdoor) unit, a shoji (sliding paper door) unit, and a board unit.

[0013] According to the small-room structure for indoor installation ofthe present invention, it becomes possible to easily form an independentsmall space suitable to specific purposes, and in a way to meet desiredtaste, by preparing all structural members constituting the small roomin the form of units and assembling them in a large room, and to thusprovide a variety of spaces in a building.

[0014] Moreover, this small-room structure for indoor installation,designed to be assembled without being fixed to the building, can bedisposed of or moved to a desired position in a large room and, when itis not required, may be easily disassembled and removed, without leavingany trace of mounting there.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 is an explanatory drawing showing the sequence ofassembling, in the first embodiment of the small-room structure forindoor installation according to the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing showing different embodiments ofthe shoji unit to be disposed between pillars.

[0017]FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing showing different embodiments ofthe board unit to be disposed between pillars.

[0018]FIG. 4 is an explanatory drawing showing the side wall panels, inthe second embodiment of the small-room structure for indoorinstallation according to the present invention.

[0019]FIG. 5 is an explanatory drawing of the floor surface panel forabove.

[0020]FIG. 6 is an explanatory drawing of the ceiling surface panel forabove.

[0021]FIG. 7 shows the third embodiment of the small-room structure forindoor installation according to the present invention, (A) being afront view and (B) a rear view.

[0022]FIG. 8 shows (A) a right side view and (B) a left side view forabove.

[0023]FIG. 9 is an explanatory drawing of the assembling of the pillarmembers for above.

[0024]FIG. 10 shows (A) a plan view of the threshold member portion and(B) a plan view of the ceiling portion for above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Embodiments of the small-room structure according to the presentinvention will be described hereafter based on drawings.

[0026] The small-room structure for indoor installation according to thepresent invention, realized in a way to be assembled, is designed toprovide a prescribed specific small space in a large space with a newadded value and form, for example, a meditative space in an executive'sroom, a space for relaxation in an office room, a space for seclusion, afitting room or dressing space in a store, a reading space in a livingroom, space for lessons, etc., though not restricted to such spaces,thus providing the small space concerned with an added value.

[0027] The large space in which to dispose this small-room structure forindoor installation may be either a Western style room or a Japanesestyle room if only it has a large living space, and the small-roomstructure may be assembled and installed freely and, when not required,disassembled and removed easily.

[0028]FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show the first embodiment of the small-roomstructure for indoor installation according to the present invention.

[0029] The small space constituting this small room for indoorinstallation will be set in a way not to give any sense ofincompatibility even when installed in a large room, and to be installedand disassembled easily, by being formed in a size about equal to thespace of one to several tatami mats, though not particularly restricted.

[0030] This small-room structure for indoor installation comprises framestructures A constituted in rectangular shape by upper frame 2 to beplaced at the top and lower frame 3 to be placed at the bottom betweentwo pillars 1, 1 facing each other at prescribed interval, upperconnecting frame 20 to be placed at the top and lower connecting frame30 to be placed at the bottom for connecting between those framestructures A, A installed face to face, a floor surface unit 4supporting the flooring material such as tatami mats, etc., a ceilingunit 5, and a fusuma unit 6, a shoji unit 7, a board unit 8 used asouter circumferential side wall unit.

[0031] The frame structure A is normally counted as one unit in a sizeequal to that of one tatami mat, and 2 pieces of this frame structure Aare usually used to be placed on the left and right sides facing eachother. In the case where the surface area of the small space is setabout equal to that of 2 tatami mats, two pieces of this frame structureA are installed side by side, connected to each other by means ofconnecting devices such as bolts, etc. to constitute one side face, and2 sets of such side face are constructed with 4 pieces in total of framestructure.

[0032] Moreover, the frame structures A will be realized in aconstruction enabling easy and quick assembling and disassembling,without requiring any specialized knowledge, by such means as fitting,screw fastening, bolting, etc. for example, though not particularlyrestricted to that construction.

[0033] The floor surface unit 4 supporting the flooring material such astatami mats, etc. will be disposed in a way to be inserted in the bottomspace of a body structure F constituted by frame structures A, Astanding by simply being placed on the floor surface in a way tosurround the prescribed small indoor space in a living space, etc.,upper connecting frames 20 and lower connecting frames 30.

[0034] Furthermore, the ceiling unit 5 will be disposed at the top ofthe ceiling of the small room surrounded by the upper frame 2 and theupper connecting frames 20.

[0035] The fusuma unit 6, shoji unit 7 and board unit 8 will be disposedin a way to surround the frame structures A, A facing each other.

[0036] In this way, a prescribed small indoor space will be formed in aliving space, etc. by assembling system.

[0037] In that case, pillars 1, upper frame 2 and lower frame 3 will bemade of either wood, woodgrain metal or synthetic resin, colored orprovided with a pattern, as required, and arranged in such a way thatthe pillars 1 and the upper frame 2, or the pillars 1 and the lowerframe 3, may be combined with each other.

[0038] This combination will be made easily by forming a fasteninggroove on one side and a fastening segment on the other side of themembers to be fit to each other respectively and fitting them to eachother, and by enabling to fasten reinforcing bolts to this combinedportion or fix them through a fixing tool 9, as required, though notparticularly restricted to that construction.

[0039] The assembling process of pillars 1 and upper frame 2 or pillars1 and lower frame 3 will be explained by taking for example the case ofa small room having a surface area corresponding to that of one tatamimat indicated in FIG. 1.

[0040] In the first place, dispose the upper frame 2 at the top and thelower frame 3 at the bottom between the pillars 1, 1 facing each otherat the front and rear parts, and connect them to the pillars 1, 1 toform a rectangular frame structure A.

[0041] Form 2 sets of this frame structure A so that they constitute thewall surfaces facing each other on the left and the right of thesmall-room structure.

[0042] Next, dispose those 2 sets of frame structure A, A at prescribedinterval or a distance equal to the length of the floor surface unit,for example, dispose the upper connecting frames 20, 20 at the top andthe lower connecting frames 30, 30 at the bottom between those framestructures A, A respectively, fasten the end part of the respectiveupper connecting frames 20 and lower connecting frames 30 mutually onthe frame structure A side, and fasten and fix them to the pillars 1.

[0043] Connect the two frame structure A, A facing each other by meansof the upper connecting frame 20 and the lower connecting frame 30 toconstitute the body structure F of the small-room structure, enablingthis body structure F to stand by itself by simply being placed on thefloor at prescribed position in a large room.

[0044] This makes it possible to remove the small room easily andquickly, when it became useless, without leaving any trace on the floorsurface.

[0045] Next, insert a floor unit 4, realized in a way to support atatami mat 40 as flooring material, in the bottom space surrounded by 4lower frames 3, 3 and the lower connecting frames 30, 30 by 2 framestructures A, A facing each other.

[0046] In that case, by making the outer shape of the floor unit 4supporting a tatami mat 40 as flooring material agree with the shape ofthe space surrounded by the lower frames 3, 3 and the lower connectingframes 30, 30, it becomes possible to constitute the floor of thesmall-room structure supported on the floor face of the large roomwithout any gap around the lower frames, by simply inserting the floorunit 4 in the space surrounded by the lower frames 3, 3.

[0047] Embed a desired tatami mat 40 in this floor unit 4, or use a unitprovided with a tatami mat fit in advance.

[0048] Moreover, dispose a ceiling unit 5 on the ceiling faceconstituted with the upper frames 2, 2 and the upper connecting frames20, 20 disposed in a way to surround the upper part between the 2opposing frame structures A, A.

[0049] This ceiling unit 5 may be constructed in a way to be placed, orfastened by simply being placed, on the upper frame 2 and the upperconnecting frame 20 combined in rectangular shape, and be realized inthe form of a unit in which Japanese paper, etc. is stretched on theceiling unit frame, to enable to intake light from the large room.

[0050] Furthermore, in that case, in place of Japanese paper to beattached to the ceiling unit 5, translucent synthetic resin board orglass sheet may also be used and, though not particularly restricted,such translucent synthetic resin board or glass sheet may be flat orhave a curved face as illustrated or be made in other shapes.

[0051] This ceiling unit 5 may be constructed integrally by disposing aplurality of small segments side by side or realized as a single framestructure.

[0052] Between the pillars 1, 1 facing each other at the front and rearparts of the frame structure A and between the pillars 1, 1 intransversal direction between the opposing frame structures A, A may bedisposed selectively one or no less than 2 items of the fusuma unit 6,shoji unit 7 and board unit 8 as outer circumferential side wall units,as desired.

[0053] As described above, the formed small space becomes a partitionedindependent space, in a large room, by partitioning in a way to surroundthe outer circumferential face of the space surrounded by the pillars 1,1.

[0054] While the fusuma unit 6, shoji unit 7 and board unit 8 aredisposed between the pillars 1, 1 of the small space surrounded by thepillars, upper frame and lower frame, they may be selected freelyaccording to the user's taste, so that the small room may become a spacesuitable to the purpose of use of the room.

[0055] Still more, on the upper and lower frames 2, 3 and the upper andlower connecting frames 20, 30, form a groove in which to slidablyinsert the fusuma unit 6 and the shoji unit 7 in two ways respectively.

[0056] This fusuma unit 6 may use 2 or 4 pieces as a unit, so that itmay be opened and closed in two ways between the pillars 1, 1 facingeach other.

[0057] Yet more, this fusuma unit 6 will be selectable as desired fromamong a plurality of types in different patterns and colors.

[0058] Moreover, the shoji unit 7 will be used in units of 2 or 4pieces, in the same way as the fusuma unit 6, so that it may be openedand closed in two ways between the pillars 1, 1 facing each other.

[0059] Furthermore, this shoji unit 7 will have such patterns and shapesas indicated in FIG. 2, selectable as desired.

[0060] Still more, the board unit 8, which is to be disposed togetherwith the fusuma unit 6 and the shoji unit 7 or in place thereof betweenthe pillars 1, 1 facing each other, will have a variety of constructionsas shown in FIG. 3 such as one provided with a shelf or decorative shelf80, one having an open/close door 81, one comprising a desk 83 with alighting hole 82 in the wall, etc., for example, selectable as desired,though not restricted to such constructions.

[0061] The tatami support 4 will also be colored to match the pillarsand other members, as required.

[0062] In this small-room structure for indoor installation, a smallroom can be disposed easily by assembling system, at a corner of a largeWestern style room or in other indoor space and, by providing therespective members constituting the small room such as pillars 1, upperframe 2, upper connecting frame 20, lower frame 3 and lower connectingframe 30 in a plurality of patterns and colors and by selectivelycombining them with fusuma unit 6, shoji unit 7 and board unit 8, itbecomes possible to make the small room as a pleasant and playful spaceprovided with utterly new functions and purposes.

[0063] Yet more, since a small room can be formed in the living spacefreely according to the user's purpose, taste, etc., it may be used formany different purposes such as personal space for meditation, space forrelaxation, space for seclusion, tearoom, space for lessons, etc., oreven as pretty fitting room or dressing space in a store, thus rousingcreative mind of the user and presenting infinite potentialities full ofindividuality.

[0064] Next, FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 show the second embodiment of thesmall-room structure for indoor installation according to the presentinvention.

[0065] In this small-room structure for indoor installation, thesurfaces constituting the small room are all composed of a single panelrespectively, namely the side wall unit forming the 4 outercircumferential side faces with side wall panel P, the floor surfaceunit with floor panel T and the ceiling unit with ceiling panel C, andthose panels P, T, C are combined properly in various ways to form ahexahedral small room.

[0066] This side wall panel P of the side wall unit forming the outercircumferential side faces may have various forms as shown in FIG. 4,such as glass screen P1 integrally formed by surrounding a sheet glasswith aluminium frame on four sides, Japanese style side wall panel P2partially comprising a built-in shoji, Japanese style side wall panelP3, earth wall with round window hole P4, or panel provided with gatewaysuch as shoji, fusuma, etc. (not illustrated), etc. One or no less than2 of them will be combined to form 4 outer circumferential side faces,and the joint parts of the respective panels will be connected andfastened by bolting or by using some proper joining tools or devices.

[0067] Moreover, the floor panel T of the floor surface unit may beprovided with tatami as in the first embodiment, but may also berealized as tatami floor having a partial panel portion and pebbles onthe outer circumference as shown in FIG. 5.

[0068] This floor panel T, which is not particularly restricted, may beprovided in genuine Japanese style or in other forms adopted as desired.

[0069] Said side wall panel P will be disposed along the 4 sides of thisfloor surface panel T, and removably jointed to the respective side wallpanels P.

[0070] Furthermore, the ceiling surface panel C may be realized byfitting glass with Japanese paper in a ceiling frame formed on foursides and in the shape of a grille, as shown in FIG. 6, enabling to takein light from the ceiling surface while stressing the Japanese style,but this design is not limitative and the design indicated in said firstembodiment or various other designs may also be adopted.

[0071] Next, FIG. 7 to FIG. 10 show the third embodiment of thesmall-room structure for indoor installation according to the presentinvention.

[0072] This small-room structure for indoor installation, to be disposedon the floor surface of a large room, is constituted as a hexahedralsmall room, by combining a base unit D supporting the entire small room,a threshold member unit R disposed and supported horizontally on thisbase in the shape of a square or rectangle according to the shape of thesmall room, a pillar member unit H using 2 sets of gate-shaped pillarmember H1 put up on this threshold member unit and combined in the shapeof a cross, a lintel member unit Q supported by this pillar member unitH and disposed in a way to face said threshold member unit R, a sidewall unit W disposed between the lintel member unit Q and the thresholdmember unit R in a way to be hung and supported on this lintel memberunit Q, a ceiling panel C supported on either the pillar member unit Hor the lintel member unit Q, and a gateway member G in unit type forminga gateway in part of the side wall unit W.

[0073] This base unit D is composed of square timber, etc. disposed onthe floor surface of a large room, and on this base unit is disposed andsupported the threshold member unit R horizontally in a way to becombined in the shape of a square or rectangle. This threshold memberunit R, adjusted to the shape and size of the small room to be formed,may be formed in a size equal to a surface area of 2 tatami mats asshown in the drawing, for example, though not particularly restricted toit.

[0074] In the inner circumferential part of the threshold member unit Rare placed tatami mats, in the same way as in said first embodiment andsecond embodiment. In addition, pebbles, etc. may also be placed betweenthis tatami floor and the threshold member unit R, as required.

[0075] The pillar member unit H to be put up on the threshold memberunit R or base unit D is formed by using 2 sets of gate-shaped pillarmember H1 and combining them in the shape of a cross.

[0076] In this case, 2 sets of gate-shaped pillar member H1, H1, whichmay also be disposed at equal intervals mutually, are combined in such away that the distances from the combined position to the left and rightends are different from each other in the illustrated example ofexecution.

[0077] On the pillar member unit H combined in the shape of a cross aremounted the lintel member unit Q and the ceiling panel C, and is alsomounted the side wall unit W in a way to be hung from it.

[0078] The ceiling panel C is provided at a position either equal to orhigher than the position of the lintel member unit Q.

[0079] The lintel member unit Q is constructed by combining horizontallyin the shape of a square or rectangle, in the same way as the thresholdmember unit R, facing the threshold member unit R from top to bottom.

[0080] The side wall unit W is disposed between the lintel member unit Qand the threshold member unit R thus disposed face to face with eachother at the top and the bottom. This side wall unit W is mounted in away to hang from the lintel member unit Q, and fastened at the bottomend to the threshold member unit R, to thereby stretch the side wallunit W between the lintel member unit Q and the threshold member unit R.

[0081] There are cases where the pillar member unit H is also fastened,on the surface at which (the side wall unit W) is in contact with thepillar member unit H.

[0082] Though not particularly restricted, this side wall unit W ismainly composed of Japanese paper as illustrated, formed in a flatscreen type or folded in the form of an accordion, and is used eitherindependently as screen type or accordion type or by combining them in aproper way as shown in the drawing.

[0083] Moreover, in part of the surrounding walls is formed a gateway,which is formed by mounting a gateway member unit G in unit type on thepillar member unit H.

[0084] This gateway member unit G is constituted by disposing a doorslidably in the gateway frame Ga such as sliding door Gb, for example.

[0085] This gateway frame Ga is installed at prescribed position of thepillar member unit H and the threshold member unit R. And at the top ofthis gateway frame Ga is stretched a side wall unit W of either screentype or accordion type.

[0086] As the ceiling panel C, a type same as that indicated in thefirst and second embodiments may be adopted, but a type made bystretching Japanese paper on a frame material may also be adopted, inthe same way as the side wall unit W, though not particularly restrictedto such types.

[0087] As described above, use of Japanese paper in the construction ofside wall unit W and ceiling panel C enables to realize a small roomwhich is lightweight and having a more unique taste.

[0088] Explanation has so far been given on the small-room structure forindoor installation according to the present invention based on aplurality of embodiments. However, the present invention is notrestricted to the constructions described in said embodiments, but maybe changed in its construction in various ways as desired, by combiningthe constructions described in the respective embodiments as required,as far as it does not deviate from the main purpose of the invention.

1. A small-room structure for indoor installation comprised of framestructures in a panel shape constituted by placing upper and lowerframes between pillars facing each other, upper and lower connectingframes forming a body structure by connecting between the framestructures installed face to face, a ceiling unit supported at theceiling of said body structure, a floor surface unit comprised offlooring material such as tatami mats, etc. supported by a bottomportion, and a side wall unit supported at the outer circumferentialportion.
 2. A small-room structure for indoor installation characterizedin that the ceiling unit constituting the ceiling of the small room, thefloor surface unit constituting the floor surface and the side wallunits constituting the side faces at the outer circumference are allconstituted with panels, and that said panels are combined in such a wayas to constitute a hexahedral small room.
 3. A small-room structure forindoor installation comprised of a pillar member unit for assemblingpillar members in the shape of a cross, a lintel member unit and athreshold member unit disposed at the top and bottom of this pillarmember unit, a ceiling unit supported by either the pillar member unitor the lintel member unit, a floor surface unit supported by either thepillar member unit or the lintel member unit, and a side wall unit,constituting the side faces of the outer circumference of the small roomsupported by the lintel member unit.
 4. A small-room structure forindoor installation as defined in claim 3, wherein the side wall unit issupported by being hung on the lintel member unit.
 5. A small-roomstructure for indoor installation as defined in claims 1, wherein theside wall unit is used selectively from among a fusuma unit, a shojiunit, and a board unit.
 6. A small-room structure for indoorinstallation as defined in claims 2, wherein the side wall unit is usedselectively from among a fusuma unit, a shoji unit, and a board unit. 7.A small-room structure for indoor installation as defined in claims 3,wherein the side wall unit is used selectively from among a fusuma unit,a shoji unit, and a board unit.
 8. A small-room structure for indoorinstallation as defined in claims 4, wherein the side wall unit is usedselectively from among a fusuma unit, a shoji unit, and a board unit.